


Pulse

by DrekkDeina



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Two Shot, adrienette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 05:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrekkDeina/pseuds/DrekkDeina
Summary: He loves Ladybug and she loves Adrien. Both are stuck in a Mobius loop of affection and rejection, until an age old phenomena intervenes and reverses the loop, with reveals and love unveiled. Reveal fic, Soulmate AU within the relative canon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> BOO!  
> Welp... yep... another Reveal/Soulmate fic. so sue me. 
> 
> If you guys and girls, bugs and chats, want early access to my chapters and works, I've revamped my P... atreon to accommodate this type of thing without making a paywall. So, it's not obligatory.  
> Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my writing!

Much like a heart, a brain, or even a stomach… everyone has it but there are moments where they cause problems, even when it works as it's supposed to.

The Pulse…

Though speculated to have originated as some sort of magical phenomena thousands of years ago, it was simply a natural occurrence in the modern world, prepared for as if it were a milestone of life.

The legend goes that two people loved each other but couldn't be with one another because their loyalty lie with families that opposed the other. Given over to their loyalties and becoming subservient to their families' constructs… the duo mourned a love that could never be.

So deep was their desire and despair that someone, some force… made sure that no other would suffer their silent pain again.

Thus, the Pulse was born.

Any human that became endearingly attracted to another would have that emotional energy emulated in their mental and physical states, but only during prolonged interaction or when emotional levels reached a peak.

It wouldn't override inhibitions or make people force themselves on each other, but it did create an unstoppable need to profess their desires to the one they love, or sometimes be expressed in doting affection.

The catch to it was that it could only truly happen between individuals that longed for each other. The Pulse never acted on unrequited love. Therefore, it was seen as a type of soulmate event. It would happen in bursts and wouldn't completely wane or halt until the two intertwined by fate resolved their feelings.

Only the strongest of wills could resist it for any lengthy period of time, and sometimes the most repressed and pressured of people bared the pain of keeping it hidden.

0000000

Chat Noir leaped from rooftop to rooftop, following Ladybug up towards the Eiffel Tower, whereas most of their patrols ended by the end of the night, with both sitting high and talking a bit before returning home.

It only took a few high flying jumps to clear the gaps and climb the metal supports to their favorite spot. No regular person could so easily reach them where they sat and made for a very exclusive spot they shared.

"Not much activity tonight, huh Chat?" the spotted heroine sighed, seeming a bit melancholy.

"Looking for a thrill, Milady?" he joked in turn. "If that's the case, you and I could play cat and mouse… though in this manner, it would be cat and bug."

Leveling an admonishing look on him, her lips curled slightly in a gentle smile. The look appeared grateful, though hiding sadness. It tugged on the young cat hero's heartstrings.

"While fun, I think that might cause some folks who see us to be concerned," she spoke. "Besides, I mostly needed a distraction from… things."

Chat was sure he knew what it might be about, though didn't know how to approach the subject without causing himself pain too.

"Uh… well… is it… about life at home?" he offered her, hoping it was something he could help with emotionally.

Her eyes met his again, lips in a small pout, as if mulling over how much she wanted to divulge.

"Remember how I said there was a guy I liked?" the blue eyed beauty asked, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

"Yeah?" came the black clad boy's response, barely audible as he gulped back a biting pain in his gut.

"Let's just say I feel like I get somewhere with him, but then realize all I did was go in a circle and never cover any real ground. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely," Chat remarked, avoiding looking at her, fearing that his eyes might give away just how much he felt the same about Ladybug.

He began to run through all of it in his mind, his feelings, his resolve to one day make her his, and the all encompassing desire to hopefully have her see just how much she means to him and accept it.

A smile broke out on his face at the fantasy, feeling separate from the painful moment of the now and part of some not so far off dream. Everything he would ever want from the one girl he felt could supply the affection and comfort he desired more than anything. Just as well, he wanted to give her the same and be emotionally melded with her to such a degree that no words need be spoken to understand each other.

The pain dissipated in what he might otherwise detail as a delusion, but in that moment… it was real.

Every ounce of emotional investment he had was poured into that dream….

And suddenly, Chat Noir felt it being poured back ten fold.

A gasp left his maw, a heat burning from within and trying to break out. It wasn't painful, but just shocking at first. It was like being warmed by the fire, right after having suffered the blistering cold of an icy winter night.

His fantasies and emotional desires felt like they were being refined and hammered into a physical force, his mind continuing to play out the mental images of his deepest desires, as if goading him to act. His body felt like it was in a state of fight or flight, but instead with every muscle wanting to grab Ladybug and shower with whatever affections and displays he could to relay his feelings for her.

The boy's eyes widened in realization.

The Pulse

His hand clutched to his chest, feeling the warmth turn into a roiling flame that started to burn.

"Chat?" a voice called out, grounding him for a moment.

He turned and felt his face flush at the mere sight of the source of his desire.

"Are you okay, Chat?" Ladybug inquired thoughtfully with a confused expression.

He wanted nothing more than to acquiesce to the burning desire to once again profess his love for the girl before him. To nuzzle up to her and whisper in her ear. To grasp her gently by the cheeks and kiss those strawberry colored lips until they became cherry red from stimulation.

His body began to lean in, acting upon these impulses he usually kept chained up, feeling as if there was no point fighting it.

Chat stopped upon a thought…

This isn't right. I can't do this to her. She's just been telling be about her troubles with feelings for… someone else. I can't betray her like this.

Swallowing and reigning in his desire, using the composure he had as Adrien to keep everything bottle up, he smiled once more.

"Sorry, Bug," he voiced evenly. "My mind wandered there for a moment. I'm fine."

Her look of concern was still present, with a hand closing in to touch his cheek.

"I don't know… you seem like your burning up."

The burning sensation tried to turn into a sweltering inferno now, testing his resolve and making his breathing a bit ragged. He reached up to grab her wrist, gently lowering her hand from him. It took everything he had not to use the chance to pull her in, hugging and kissing her senseless.

"I'm just a little worked up from running up here," the hero explained. "And it the wind is a bit nippy up here, with it going into winter soon."

That made sense right? His mind voiced in an echo, all mental capacities trying to keep this Pulse under control.

"Alright… if you're sure," the bluenette relented, looking concerned still. "Wanna head out then? We don't have to stick around and talk."

"I… yeah… okay," Chat mumbled, feeling disappointed that this event had to come up now, just when his partner needed an ear. He almost wished he could rip this Pulse out of him, as if it were a physical entity, and beat it senseless for causing such a misunderstanding.

Ladybug gave him a sad smile, whipping out her yoyo to swing away on, leaving a very 'on edge' Chat Noir to deal with an fire within that felt like it wanted to turn his heart into a smoldering pit.

He had enough sense to leap down and find a rooftop to collapse on, letting out a ragged pant and curling his arms around his chest, the Pulse taking hold.

It wouldn't do anything physically harmful to him, but it would seem as if it could. His arms and legs were tingling, muscles weak and becoming a type of lax that he felt when waking up and stretching. There was a pit in his stomach that felt it could only be satiated by going after and resolving the desire within his heart.

And his heart… it wasn't in pain, but there was this longing that felt almost instinctual, animal even. It was like it was pointing at the source of his heartache and saying, 'Give in and you will be rewarded'.

A sudden thought occurred to him now.

According to all knowledge on the subject, the event known as the Pulse could only occur if a love was requited. He literally couldn't feel this towards Ladybug unless she felt the same about him.

Tears pricked at his eyes in a moment of happy revelation…

...only to turn into something empty and hollow upon a devastating realization.

She was in love with Adrien.

He might have been happy with the prospect, but there was some circumstances that he couldn't counter well. Adrien Agreste was a model on hundreds of billboards, posters, and with many ads, websites included. Finding her could be too difficult if she didn't want to reveal her identity.

But… the way Ladybug talked about him seemed as if she were somewhat familiar. She was quite possibly an acquaintance at school or even a close friend.

The way he felt currently, there was this insatiable and unerring force that demanded he find her.

It took many minutes of swirling thoughts and calming breaths to allow the Pulse to pass, with its effects being that of a tickling ember within the pit of his gut. Once it happened, it would never truly go away until the affected individuals related their feelings to their beloved, but the intensity of a Pulse would wax and wane like phases of the moon. Proximity and spikes in emotional focus on the subject of their desire affected when a Pulse would become more intense again, only becoming more so as time went on.

The boy hero made his way back home and jumped down into his open window, releasing his transformation and collapsed to his knees, using the couch for support.

Plagg zipped into view, looking both irritated and concerned.

"So… it finally happened?" the Kwami jibed, trying to pretend he was disinterested.

"What…? You knew this would happen?" Adrien croaked, still feeling a bit floored by the recent potent attack against his psyche.

Plagg leveled narrow eyes on him, groaning, "Oh come on! You're basically a love sick kitten. It was bound to happen sometime. I'm only surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"But… it can only happen if the feelings are returned," the blonde teen sighed. "How would you know it would happen… unless you know she felt the same about me?"

Adrien did recall a few instances thus far that incidentally required that Plagg and Ladybug's kwami would meet and see the other user of the Miraculous. He also knew that his own kwami either refused to talk about it… or simply couldn't by some form of magic.

However, if Plagg knew about that caveat, then that left one hopeful conclusion.

"I know her well enough in our everyday lives that you knew the Pulse would happen to me," he breathed, refocusing his gaze in the flying cat kwami, whose eyes became awkward and avoided Adrien's.

"I'll give you this kid…" Plagg relented. "You're an idiot, but you're not stupid."

"Uh...thanks?"

"You're welcome!" the kwami chirped. "Now… cheese, please, and let's get some sleep."

Too drained to argue, the boy pulled himself to his feet and did as he was asked with a mumbling, "Alright then."

0000000

Ladybug swung lazily from a chimney, breaking free at the height of her arc to land with practiced expertise on the roof of her home.

Dropping through the trapdoor, with her transformation dropping as well, Marinette found and collapsed onto her bed, a concerned Tikki floating up to eye level.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" came the expected question, with the bluenette giving her kwami a gentle smile.

"Just a little forlorn, Tikki," she sighed. "I think I made Chat uncomfortable with all that talk."

The tiny floating creature shrugged, mentioning offhandedly, "I mean… you were talking about your crush in front of the boy who has long since said he is in love with you."

Marinette groaned and cradled her face in her hands, guilt settling in her stomach like a lead weight.

"I completely spaced on that while I was focused on myself…" the teenager moaned. Popping her head up, an expression of resolve spreading over her face, she resumed, "I need to apologize to him."

Tikki found a resting spot nearby, grabbing a cookie that was left out for her and began to mull something else over.

While linked to the Ladybug transformation, she couldn't directly talk or interact with Marinette, but she did see everything going on in their surroundings. Something the bluenette seemed to miss, that the kwami was hesitant over… was that Chat wasn't entirely looking the kind of uncomfortable that seemed to be caused by her charge's wistful lamentations.

Maybe it was best to leave it be for now.

Both rolled over and slept in their respective beds, worried over their own issues.

0000000

Somehow able to wake up early, Marinette was resting her lazing head in her hand, looking down at Adrien's currently vacant seat in class.

She chalked the fluke up to being restless all night. Even Tikki appeared to emulate her mood, though more so with a concerned look to herself.

Focusing on the empty seat, the bluenette sighed, thinking on what she was mulling over before Chat was having his moment of supposed discomfort.

She had most of the night to think over the subject, but it felt like her brain kept cutting every thought short before she could properly form a coherent idea towards some unseen end.

Right now though, her mind finally flowed freely, thinking about his smile and his eyes, green as summer leaves and as vibrant as emeralds, with hair that warmed her like rays of the sun.

There was a creeping warmth from within that seemed to bubble forth…

...cut short by the unexpected arrival of the subject of her mind's wanderings.

Instead of being flustered and fawning, she was simply confused by his early arrival. Or maybe… this was his normal time of arrival and she was simply early enough to witness it.

Regardless, her main concern was his listless walk, slouched demeanor, as well as the far off look in his eyes that appeared to be housing a brewing storm of emotions behind them….

Internally scoffing at her own musings, Marinette pouted, You're reading waaaaay too much into a simple look in his eyes. Either way though, he looks tired.

Raising a hand nervously, the girl tried to capture his attention, waving slowly at him.

As if surprised to see the other classmates in the room, the blonde stepped back in shock, clutching his chest. His pupils seemed to shrink, flitting around to each of the classmates he saw. Marinette was utterly confused.

Before she could speak, Rose piped up, "Are you okay, Adrien? You look like you saw a ghost."

He rubbed a hand to the back of his head, flushing a bit, as if embarrassed by the way he reacted.

"I uh… just… tough night's sleep," he murmured, barely loud enough for the others in class to hear him.

Before anyone could follow up, Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Sabrina, the last stragglers of the class, entered in, with Chloe hanging over Adrien as per the usual.

The bluenette would have felt a spike of anger and jealousy, but the blonde appeared more uncomfortable than usual.

A hiss had everyone turning to look, many eyebrows raised, including Chloe's.

"Adrikins? Did you just hiss at me?" she asked, more confused than hurt.

"Uh… I… that… I'm sorry, Chloe," the boy tried to recover, putting on his best smile. "I think I slept in the wrong position. I'm a bit sore on that side and I guess it took me by surprise."

"Oh… well if you're sure," the ponytailed blonde replied, perking right back up. "I can send over a masseuse to your house to work that out. I know tons of good ones."

"It's okay, Chlo… I'll be fine."

Everyone in the class eventually minded their own business, with the exception of Marinette, whose concern only became further heightened. Something was off about him that seemed familiar.

Adrien sat down, with Madame Bustier coming in to start the day.

"You alright girl?" Alya whispered next to her, to which the bluenette gave her a glance and nodded.

"I'm just worried about Adrien," she divulged honestly.

"He does seem a bit off and… squirrelly?" The redhead guessed, shrugging and waving her own suggestion off.

While everyone paid attention to class, Marinette, unsurprisingly, paid attention to Adrien. He was looking around and focusing frantic eyes and various people in the room, as if searching for someone in particular.

Soon enough, his eyes zoned in on her, a deep blush turning his cheeks as red as roses. Nino appeared to notice, but abstained from addressing it when the teacher appeared to be calling on him to answer something.

Suddenly, he stood up and blurted out, "I need… bathroom… s'il vous plait?"

Instead of making the poor boy wait or explain himself, Madame Bustier gave him a gentle, even if slightly concerned, smile and nodded at him.

He bolted towards the door, causing another swath of raised eyebrows to follow him.

Marinette raised her hand, summoning the courage to do what she felt she needed to do.

"I can accompany him, since he looks a bit unsteady," she offered.

"I was actually thinking he needs that," the teacher agreed. "If necessary, take him to the nurse too."

"Of course, Madame."

At that, the two left the room, with Adrien taking hurried strides out of sight of the class. Rounding a corner, he braced himself against the wall.

The bluenette was at his side instantly, holding his shoulder. Normally, she would be over the moon and babbling senselessly to herself at the chance, but her worry overwrote her usual spastic energy.

"Adrien… what's wrong?" She called out to him. "You need the nurse."

His hand shot out to stop her as she turned away, causing her to gasp slightly at the force of it.

Adrien's eyes locked into hers, his head dipped slightly. He looked like he was silently begging her to not say anything.

Marinette finally realized what was so familiar about this.

The Pulse.

Alya suffered a similar fate some months back, confiding in and getting her best friend's help in making it through without making a fool of herself.

She barely lasted a full day before nearly tackling Nino to the ground and kissing him senseless.

It was no secret that he liked her too and they were pretty much official but apparently the last hump of actually putting their feelings out in the open was why the Pulse was there.

Once again, the young woman was torn between her worry for her friend and her emotional turmoil at the realization.

He loved someone who shared his feelings.

"Who?" she asked simply. The blonde stiffened, eyes downcast and unsure.

"What are you talking about?" he asked blankly.

Marinette put on her kindest smile, saying, "I know it's the Pulse. You don't need to hide it or feel ashamed. It's normal for many people at some point in their lives. Who's the lucky lady?"

"I… I don't know…" Adrien mumbled distantly, clutching at his chest with a free hand.

That definitely threw the bluenette for a loop. The Pulse never acted without the person affected knowing who they were longing for. From many accounts and lessons in school, it was something that usually came about with some emotional peak towards the subject of their desires, with quite a few saying it hit them in bittersweet moments of doubt that their beloved didn't share in their love for the other.

"How do you not know?" she asked in confusion.

"I just… know that she's nearby, but I don't know who she is…" the boy explained, a ragged pant to his voice. "If I find her though… she might be in danger."

Marinette was only growing more and more confused. It sounded like he knew who he attracted to, but not knowing who she is. A tingle of understanding began to creep from the depths of her mind.

"I… I don't understand," the blue eyed girl further mentioned, hoping he would explain more.

"My… my Pulse is for L… Ladybug…" Adrien voiced, cheeks ablaze as his eyes could barely lock onto Marinette's long enough to say it, let alone think it.

The dread that the teenage girl felt dissipated in an instant, replaced by cautious delight.

She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her features, despite her beloved's distress.

"Ok," she finally replied. "I get it… she's nearby but you don't know which person it is?"

He nodded fervently, the blonde's head a blur.

"I felt fine before coming to school but now my chest is a raging inferno and my head feels like it's swimming," Adrien detailed. "So, I know she's near but I can't focus enough to find her."

Now Marinette was put in a tough spot. The Pulse confirmed everything she could barely dream, though his affection for Ladybug threw a wrench in the works that she couldn't overcome so easily.

Internally sighing in resignation, the bluenette was forced to keep her distance.

"We should get you to the nurse though," she told him, reaching out to help him stand steady.

She laid a hand upon his shoulder, feeling him shudder under her touch, a bright spot of relief cascading within his face. The girl pulled back, wondering if she should be avoiding physical contact for now.

"It's fine," he rebuked. "I'll be alright. Just let me breathe and I'll get back to class. Please, Marinette."

Not entirely convinced, the bluenette went against her better judgement and nodded numbly, feeling that letting him deal with this alone would be a bad idea.

0000000

Adrien was floored. Thankfully, it wasn't literal, though he felt it could have been…

...if not for that single touch from Marinette.

It was like the storm within him settled for but a brief moment, bringing with it a small moment of relief that was like giving in to sleep after an exhausting day.

His mind was reeling from the implications, unable to take the leap of logic that he knew he was on the precipice of.

Marinette is Ladybug.

He facepalmed himself in self admonishment at his brain getting ahead of him trying not to think about it.

It was the only thing that made sense. He felt his Pulse reach a peak with her so close and only her touch relinquished even the slightest amount of the grip it had on his senses. He needed more from her. He wanted to embrace her, to kiss her, to…

Adrien turned his away and shook it, willing any further thoughts away as he blushed furiously.

His school day felt agonizingly slow, especially with the knowledge that Marinette was behind him.

He thought there would be a comfort to knowing who she was and having her close, but it was almost pure torture to have her close enough to breath down the nape of his neck and he couldn't simply act on it.

Aside from his usual need to keep his own selfish wants in check for his father, the blonde did realize that compromising her identity would be bad.

His eyes widened slightly upon remembering that he already mentioned to Marinette that he was feeling this Pulse for her, for Ladybug.

Making it through lunch and the rest of the day was way too strenuous for his heart to take.

He could barely summon the will to do any of his homework, let alone practice piano.

And then there was…

"Ugh… patrol," Adrien groaned dejectedly. "I don't think I could face her…" His hands came up to cover his eyes, mental images of his Lady plaguing his consciousness, now littered with the face of Marinette.

Her freckles, a cute feature he always noted about her, though apparently hidden beneath the mask, became a new source of fascination with his subconscious.

As much as he wanted to be doubtful that Marinette could be Ladybug, the things he felt through this Pulse seemed quite definitive. It was like instinct, telling him that this was how it was and it couldn't be anything else. He knew that his affections were for Ladybug, and he knew that now his Pulse felt solely focused on Marinette, mask or not. It was the only end that his mind allowed now.

"Why not skip it?" Plagg offered, as if it were so easy. "I'm sure she won't be too mad if you explain things to her after."

"It'll seem way too suspicious if I stand her up like this," the blonde complained.

"So, you know who she is and won't see her as Chat," the kwami explained rhetorically. "Plus, if you confess to her as Chat, she'll know who you are. If you confess as Adrien to Marinette, she'll know that you know who she is, since you basically told her you're in love with Ladybug."

The young boy froze, running that through his head. By that logic, he was trapped in an infinite loop of being unable to profess anything to the girl he loved, mask or not. Even if Adrien found Ladybug in costume and confessed to her, it wasn't like that knowledge could be public or bring all good things. His father would probably freak out over the dangers of being affiliated with her.

It was like everything pointed to saying he should keep this upon himself forever.

The Pulse spiked within him, causing a turmoil of boiling emotions that didn't agree with that sentiment at all.

Adrien let out a pained whimper at the prospect of having to keep this desire trapped inside for so long. He could barely repress every urge thus far to suit up and leap across the city and find Marinette to scoop her up and whisper every line he ever concocted in his mind to woo her.

As if reading his mind, Plagg let out a noise of disgust, rolling his eyes and flitting away to mind his own beeswax.

Stuck in an emotional quagmire, the emerald eyed teen bit his lip and attempted to distract his already plagued mind from the problems at hand, booting up his computer to search for the answer to stupid questions.

0000000

Tossing and turning at home, the long day of school making her only really wanting to climb into bed, regardless of the early hour, Marinette kept bouncing between squealing in joy and groaning in frustration.

Adrien Agreste was in love with Ladybug.

The very focus of her dreamy gaze and wandering thoughts loved her back. Maybe not in the way she wanted but she would take it.

The only frustrating thing was that she couldn't reveal herself without compromising her identity. If she didn't though… Adrien would suffer his Pulse until he could resolve his feelings. With a Pulse, that could only happen through relaying everything they felt to their love.

The bluenette blushed once more and cycled back around to squealing in excitement that she reminded herself that she was the one he loved.

"I almost can't believe it Tikki, but what do i do?" she asked her kwami.

Tikki sighed, voicing her piece, "A Pulse is something you shouldn't leave hanging. Adrien seems to be having a hard enough time dealing with it as it is. As much as I want to have you keep your identity secret, having him tell anyone else that he's in love with Ladybug might eventually lead others to you."

The young girl perked up, slightly worried and confused.

"How would that work?"

"Because the longer one suffers the Pulse," the floating red creature explained, "the more refined it becomes in zoning in on someone. It's like instinct. Eventually, he'll be pulled irrecoverably towards you, without even knowing it fully. He and you won't be able to explain away how he was attracted to Ladybug, but it suddenly switches to you. The connection will be obvious. I would rather you talk to him and get his confidence, before such a thing becomes harder to ask for."

"I… huh… how do you know so much about the Pulse?" Marinette couldn't resist asking. "That knowledge isn't exactly something I think is common."

Tikki smiled, giving her charge a chirping tone as she told her, "Well because me and the black cat kwami are responsible for it in the first place."

"What!?" the bluenette exclaimed, looking with concern towards her bedroom door, wondering if her parents might react. When she didn't hear any worried footsteps or knocking on the trapdoor, she let out a relieved sigh that either her parents didn't hear… or were so used to her outbursts so as to leave her be unless she began screaming in pain.

Feeling safe enough to continue, the kwami picked up where she left off, "Yep. Way back in some ancient times, a couple sacrificed their own chance at love to keep their loyalties to their family. Near the end of their lives, the Ladybug and Black Cat of that time met them and heard their story, letting them make a wish using the two miraculouses. We might have worried about the price paid, but we all knew that these two had already paid it, sacrificing a long life together for others. They regretted it and wished that no others would suffer what they did. From then on, a new phenomenon was born that gave people the will and need to be with the one they love."

"Wow… so these two sacrificed their love so that the entire world would never lose the nerve to find theirs?"

"Exactly," Tikki squeaked. "It does have its downsides, but no one is truly forced against their will by it. It acts like incentive to follow your heart, if not a bit… pushy about it."

Marinette became dazed and daydreamed, thinking about everything Adrien said, even if not much. Though not in love directly with her, she was still ecstatic that the love of her life was entranced by any part of her. It still made her smile like an idiot to rehash in her head. A familiar warmth bubbled from deep within, suddenly turning into something much stronger.

It courses throughout her entire body, a surging wave of heat and pleasure raking over her nerves.

Tikki noticed her strange reaction, flying in close and giving her a look between shock and understanding.

"It happened to you now didn't it?" came the question that felt like it needed no actual answer.

Between ragged breaths and clutching at her burning chest, the bluenette nodded, fingers beginning to feel her cheeks, the heat being telltale that there was a blush that wouldn't leave her anytime soon.

"Oh no, Tikki… what do I do?" she almost tearfully choked out, not actually crying but so taken aback by the Pulse that it felt like she was trying to quell a fire within her after coming in from the freezing cold.

Her fingertips tingle and and knees felt weak. It was pleasant but also terrifying. All she could think was if this was how Adrien felt because it didn't seem so bad.

Upon thinking about him though, she felt this tugging sensation that acting against her usual demeanor of clamming up. The warmth within her became a sweltering bonfire, as if it could turn her insides to ash.

"Welp… now you both are in for it," the kwami pointed out with a giggle.

"This isn't funny!" Marinette whined.

The floating creature laughed her small laugh, replying, "I beg to differ just a bit. You two need something to push you together. I honestly thought Alya would be what did it, but this'll do."

The young woman sat up in bed, fidgeting and pouting, trying to figure out what to do.

"And it only gets worse?" she asked her kwami.

Tikki shrugged, mentioning offhandedly, "Pretty much."

"I can only imagine what it was like for Adrien…" Marinette whispered to herself. A pleasant chill crept up her legs, hips, spine, and finally made the hairs on her head try to stand on end at the thought of him. She whimpered in response, knowing that dealing with this might be the death of her.

"I can't do this," she continued, clapping her hands to her heated cheeks. "I've not had any success with trying to get my feelings across because I have the worst luck with it."

"Sooner or later, it won't really be a choice for you," Tikki voiced with a smile. "You're Pulse will get stronger and stronger until admitting your feelings to him and giving him all the affection you fantasize about becomes not only a desire but a sweet release from the torture you think you're suffering."

"I thought this wasn't supposed to be painful?" came her fretful inquiry.

"More or less," the kwami answered. "It's basically a physical manifestation of the feelings you have. What you feel is not supposed to be a pain, but more of something that emulates your emotions in your body and showcases Adrien and confessing to him as something that makes you feel better. It's like getting hungry and eyeing those cookies in the windowsill."

"Now that sounds like you on a daily basis," the bluenette jibed at her small friend with a smirk. "But… you're saying this Pulse is like a hunger that only Adrien can sate…?"

"I'm not exactly explaining it well but yes."

"Great… I'm a stalker vampire," the girl sarcastically spoke.

"You do remember that Adrien is feeling a lot of the same stuff, right?" Tikki reminded her.

"Yeah… yeah, I know, but Adrien is trying to keep it under wraps for everyone. He's much stronger than me."

"Or maybe more repressed," the kwami mentioned sadly, making Marinette match her slightly somber gaze. "We've both seen it. He keeps a lot bottled up. I'm fairly sure that he won't give in to the Pulse, especially out of concern for Ladybug."

"What do I do then?" the teenager gently plead.

"Don't fight your Pulse," Tikki stated flatly, a serious expression leveling with her charge.

Marinette gulped, fearing all the terrible things she felt would happen from her end.

"But… I…" she began, nerves taking hold of her.

"He needs you to be the one to free him. Trust me."

The bluenette steeled her gaze, nodding slowly, knowing her kwami was right.


	2. Part 2 of 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad people like this story so far. Only half done and I have such pawsitively punderful responses. XD   
> Here is the second part and I hope all of you enjoy this completed work.

Slinging across the city, Ladybug let the wind cool down her flushed face, the Pulse still working it's strange magic. There was a pleasantly warm tingle that made her muscles feel like jelly and a smoldering ember in the pit of her stomach that tried desperately to make her feel lazy and tired.

She simply hoped to work off her Pulse initiated frustrations out on patrol with Chat Noir. Sitting still just felt like someone threw her like a log on a fire and the longer Marinette sat around, the more she burned.

Thankfully, after the initial event, her Pulse calmed down enough for her to feel like moving was possible.

The spotted heroine took the long route towards the meeting spot they had for today. It moved around, so as to avoid being intercepted by any schemes of Hawkmoth… but also to keep away from any fans and other nosy individuals that wanted to catch them together, slamming them with press attention.

Her 'scenic route' offered her the opportunity to avoid thinking about You-Know-Who, keeping her symptoms from flaring up. Tikki's advice was quite helpful, making it easier to deal with her Pulse.

The idea that she should give in to her Pulse and give Adrien release from his was frightening, to say the least.

Ladybug felt an electric shock dance pleasantly across her nerves and skin upon even thinking of his name. She subsequently missed her latest yoyo throw to sling from one building to another and ended up crashing onto a rooftop instead.

A bit of anxiety sank in, making her pant in reaction to such an odd circumstance. It felt like that moment when you miss a step on a staircase and nearly tumble all the way down.

Given but a moment to collect herself, her yoyo began to ring, to which she opened it with practiced ease to see her partner smiling awkwardly through the screen.

"Hey there, Bug," Chat called out to her. "About patrolling today…"

"Gonna bail on me?" she surmised, his half-hearted tone saying it all to her. There was a teasing air to her tone, making him chuckle oddly.

"Sort of…" he replied, scratching at the back of his head. "I'm actually dealing with a physical malady right now and got a bit restless… So… I went out early for patrol and kind of did my rounds. Mind if I call it an early night?"

The bluenette superhero smiled in understanding.

"Absolutely. I hope you feel better soon, Kitty."

"Thanks, Pr…" the black clad boy began to say, eyes bugging out as he started coughing. "Thanks, Ladybug."

She frowned. He did sound sick. It wasn't like they always did patrols together, given that she and he had to account for personal life stuff, but it seemed odd that he would call to explain it away. She trusted him to have good reasons.

"I'll see you at the next one in a couple days then," she followed up.

Chat nodded and wished her goodnight, to which both hung up.

At least now this gave her an excuse to ditch patrol if she felt like it.

Instead, she took to running and swinging to let the chill of the air diffuse the heat bubbling up from her very soul.

0000000

Chat slunk down the wall he was leaning upon, trying to collect himself after the call. He was a mess before, but now he felt like his heart was trying to recreate Pompeii with the inferno of molten desire creating a pervasive heat within his core.

He had planned on intercepting Ladybug, who was swinging quite ferociously across the city, but upon nearly intersecting her path, he could feel his Pulse causing him far more strife than he felt safe delving into.

The black clad superhero's breathing came in rapid pants, a clawed hand clutching at his chest.

There was no way he could do this, much less go to school the following day to see Marinette, if she was truly Ladybug.

He felt that he should have been more surprised, gone into a mental spiel of why it was obvious, but the simple fact is that his Pulse seemed to react by instinct to her so completely that he wasn't allowed to doubt it.

He wanted to mull over the fact that both were so similar in characteristics and physicality, but he realized one thing since knowing it was her…

...he didn't want to let himself believe it because that meant all the more disappointment if he was wrong. If Adrien found himself along that path, being proven wrong, he thought he might end up pushing a friend away with his deluded fantasies.

So, every hint, clue, or blatantly obvious excuse was ignored so he could avoid putting unnecessary ideals on a person who might not feel good about being burdened with them if they knew.

Now… he wasn't sure how to approach either side of her, his Pulse aside.

He remembered that Plagg mentioned offhandedly something about being very experienced with Pulses. Maybe he could give him some tips on how to deal with this.

Making his way back home, he leapt down into the open window and released his transformation.

"Plagg…" Adrien quietly called out to his kwami, who flew from the ring and made to effortlessly whizz in front of his chosen and wait for what he knew was coming. "Do you know anything to help me?"

Sighing, the small magical creature rolled his eyes as he griped, "You know this is only going to get worse. Just give up, give in, and roll around in the gross emotion you call love."

The boy looked unamused as he replied, "Gee… thanks, Plagg."

"Look…" the kwami seemed to relent after seeing Adrien's face, "...I know a few things about Pulses and one big thing for you is that your Pulse started while in your superhero form… which only amplified its process. I'm honestly surprised you lasted this long without jumping into Ladybug's arms and nuzzling her like a lost hungry kitty."

"My superhero form?" the young boy echoed in question, mulling the thought over. "So… will staying out of the suit help?"

"Nope," came the blunt reply. "It started in the suit and was amplified by the magical presence already inhabiting you. In or out of the suit… it's already started and will get worse. Best to give up."

"But…" Adrien started in lamentation, only to be cut off by the tiny black creature.

"...of course this is you we're talking about. The perfect son who is so mindful of everyone around him that he's afraid of judgement and being rejected for anything deemed too odd. You're just going to repress this to make her feel more comfortable… even if you know that isn't the case."

"If Ladybug… er… Marinette… hasn't experienced the Pulse yet… I could just be imposing on her something she's not ready for," came the blonde's reasoning, infuriating Plagg.

"Ugh… do what you want," he groaned. "Just point me towards the cheese so I can eat, then sleep. I'm too old and tired for this right now."

Adrien worked his jaw but he couldn't find the words to reply. He knew Plagg wasn't all that angry, the kwami just didn't like dealing with emotional problems all that often.

He figured it best to let him be and worked on his homework, hoping to distract his mind from the present and persistent issue.

0000000

Walking into school, Marinette was blushing furiously, though not from her Pulse.

As pervasive as it felt, her flushed face was mostly a side effect of her recently thought up plan, even if the bluenette thought it was doomed to fail.

With various questions after her patrol, Tikki offered her a very generous amount of info to help her, though there was a few things she couldn't get a clear answer out of her for.

For one, the kwami seemed to imply that the Miraculous magic of her Ladybug form might have had a backlash effect on his Pulse… potentially creating a more amplified effect on Adrien.

Secondly, if this amplified form of the Pulse were left unchecked and repressed as both Marinette and Tikki knew might happen, both privy enough to the boy's mannerisms to know how much he puts up with from his father, the implication there was that Adrien might be greatly suffering.

It was up to her to set him free. As clumsy and embarrassed as she was, Marinette knew she had to push those selfish restrictions aside to help the love of her life, the soul she shared a bond with.

She powered forward with single minded focus…

...bumping into Adrien as she rounded a corner.

Her Pulse spiked, throwing her off her focus and threatening to shatter her resolve.

It was quickly reformed when she saw how the poor blonde reacted. He steadied himself on the nearby wall, vibrant emerald eyes locked onto her own with animal like intensity and desire. His cheeks were scarlett and chest rose and fell heavily. If she knew nothing about Pulses, Marinette would be assuming he had a vigorous fencing session with a tough opponent.

Fighting all flight responses her body had, legs locking in place, the bluenette took a deep breath and raised an open palm to cup Adrien's cheek.

The sigh of relief that came from him made her feel more confident, his cheek nestling into her touch. With the initial fear of hers over, Marinette felt brave enough to let her thumb rub in slow circles on his cheek, pulling her palm away to let the tips of her fingers rake back and scratch under his ear.

He leaned again, a soft 'hmm' of pleasure making her feel appreciated for her efforts.

Against her urges to keep going, the young girl pulled away, saying, "I'm sorry for bumping into you, Adrien. I hope you're alright."

"I… I'm f-fine," the blonde stuttered, the blue eyed girl a bit stunned by the turnabout. "T-thanks, Marinette…" His voice trailed off, with her name leaving his lips like it was pleasing to say on its own, head tilted down and eyes cast upwards to her.

She smiled gently, knowing he was frozen in a similar awkward state that often plagued her interactions with him. To that effect, Marinette took a page from his usual reactions and stepped past him, dispersing the awkwardness with a bright grin and resting a hand on his shoulder as she passed him by.

The difference in what he might do and what she intended to accomplish became apparent with the lingering hand of the bluenette. As she walked by him, it rotated and stayed on him, drifting down and sliding over his chest. As she rounded him, her hand did too, fingers grazing his side and leaving with the faintest dragging feeling.

Steeling herself not to look back, the young woman made her way to class, hoping Adrien was alright.

"Well, you're early," Alya noted, as Marinette sat down beside her.

"I'm on time," she replied with confusion. Her friend raised an eyebrow.

"Yep… that's early for someone like you," the redhead joked, poking the bluenette's shoulder playfully.

The duo giggled.

Nino and Adrien entered the classroom together, with the latter looking visibly relieved, and maybe a bit tired, like he had been stripped of a minor burden.

Contrary to earlier, Marinette definitely felt like the boiling heat had simmered down. She shouldn't have been surprised, but to experience for herself the relief that giving into this urge to show affection felt… it was liberating. She could understand much better now how this thing coaxed people to follow their desires.

With a sense of confidence she usually lacked when concerning the blonde before her, the blue eyed teenager mulled over her next move, knowing it could only be a matter of time before Adrien caught on, if he hadn't already.

Before he sat down, his emerald gaze met her sapphire eyes and a blush filled his cheeks. Averting his eyes, he quickly took his seat and breathed deep.

Marinette blinked, wondering, Is that how it looks when I'm a mess in front of him?

She smirked devilishly and rested her cheek on a propped up hand, musing further, It's really adorable.

The girl looked over and saw Alya giving her this befuddled look.

"Did you and Adrien somehow switch personalities for the day?" she asked, having leaned over to whisper. "I swear he's acting like you right now… and you… you're just calm and collected. Alright… what did you do with Marinette?"

The redhead crossed her arms and pouted, seeming slightly serious, but also playfully curious.

Madame Bustier appeared to miss their entire whispered conversation, forward facing and focusing on the board. That made it difficult for the bluenette to deflect the question unless…

"I have a question," Rose called out, hand raised and pulling the teacher's attention to focus on the students just in time.

"Yes, Rose?" came her polite and even reply.

0000000

Adrien heard Rose behind him, but failed to listen to much else following, his head turning with a few others, though focusing on someone else entirely.

Marinette was sighing, possibly in some form of belated relief at something he didn't quite get. Next to her, Alya had a scary look that reminded him of Plagg when being interrupted during eating cheese. It happened quite often, with the black kwami having to abandon most of a wheel often when someone entered the room, whereas the blonde was forced to pretend it was his to eat.

He pushed away any further reflection on those memories, not wanting to relive certain moments where he had to nibble on it to dissuade suspicious eyes from Nathalie or the Gorilla.

Seeing his wandering look, the bluenette perked up and waved at him, a wink stunning him.

His thoughts became a turbulent maelstrom, going over the ramifications of such a simple gesture.

Did she know that I know? Is she teasing me? This isn't usually how Marinette is, right? came the cascade of errant inquiries from a frantic mind.

Adrien noticed he was simply staring, forcing himself to give off a dopey grin and turn back around, his body feeling like a rusty hinge as it took a lot of effort to right himself and face forward again.

She's going to be the death of me… he mused, running a hand over his forehead.

0000000

Lunch couldn't have come soon enough for the blonde, his foot tapping erratically during the final few minutes as he counted down.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned over to grab his bag slowly, trying not to seem rushed.

It was both pleasant and a surprise to see Marinette squatting down next to him to grab a shaky hand and place something in it.

"I think you dropped this,... Adrien," she spoke softly, the fading mention of his name sounding like a breathless rasp.

All too soon, her fingers left him, the tips of hers grazing his lightly, sending shivers up his arm as he gripped the wad of paper she left behind.

"What was that?" Alya whisper yelled in the distance, making Adrien track the two out the door before looking back down at his bag. The paler girl seemed to wave off her redhead friend and mention something he couldn't hear well.

"Alright, Dude," Nino voiced with a clap of his hand on his back. "I'll see you after lunch then?"

"Y-yeah?" was his muttered response.

His friend frowned slightly.

"You've been pretty on edge lately," he told the blonde. "You alright? Anything on your mind?"

"Just a bit lacking in sleep," Adrien rebuked quickly, putting on his model smile and giving Nino an obligatory fist bump. "I'm hoping to catch up on it this weekend. Until then… I'll make it."

"If you say so, but don't think I didn't notice you giving Marinette a few choice glances."

Of course he noticed, the green eyed blonde lamented mentally, pouting slightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he denied. "I was looking back for Rose and you must have seen me when I was about to turn back."

The darker boy rolled his eyes, teasing, "I'll pretend to believe that for now, but don't keep your best friend out of the loop if it means something more than a look."

"Fine," was the only real reply he felt safe grumbling, smiling at his friend.

Strolling from the classroom and making a short detour towards the restrooms, Adrien opened the hand with the paper in it, unfolding and spreading it apart.

Hey Adrien,

It's Marinette, if that wasn't obvious.

Anyways, I wanted to invite you to my parent's bakery for lunch if you want.

The boy smiled, with Plagg appearing over his shoulder and beginning to giggle.

"Looks like your Lovebug wants you for lunch," he snarked. "Gonna go?"

Not even willing to give his Kwami's smug attitude a response, the blonde silently pulled out his phone and messaged his driver that he would be having lunch with a friend.

It used to be a more sensitive matter, but, as long as he didn't skew too far from his dietary restrictions, there was little resistance to the idea now.

He got a quick response that the driver understood.

Packing up his bags, he made his way from school and to the bakery, letting his Pulse push him a bit on impulse.

Being near Marinette might be dangerous in his mind, but her invitation seemed to override a few of his concerns.

Entering the establishment, Adrien was greeted with a small rush of customers, the crowd creating enough clutter to make it difficult to walk through without grazing other patrons.

"Oh! Well if it isn't Adrien," a kindly female voice called out from near the register.

He turned and saw the petite woman he knew to be Marinette's mother.

Sabine, if he remembered correctly.

"Y-yeah," he confirmed. "Marinette invited me for lunch?"

"She did mention that," Sabine agreed. "We're a little too busy to give you a proper greeting, but go right up to her room. You've been there before."

"Thanks, Miss Cheng," Adrien voiced, taking the chance to escape the crowd.

Practically running upstairs, he almost collided with Marinette as he emerged onto the next floor. She seemed shocked and surprised, leaping with a 'Yaaah!'.

"Sorry…," he mumbled, hands splayed out in nervous manner. "I was in a hurry to get out of the crowd down there."

She recovered fast, giving him a kind smile.

"It's fine. I was just putting something together, in case you showed up."

Making her way past him, Marinette grabbed at his upper arms, shifting him so he wasn't in the way, with a playful squeeze sending shivers up his spine.

There was almost an electric quality to her gaze as she glided by, more graceful than he'd ever witnessed from the young woman.

Every small touch settled this ache inside him ever so slightly, making his breathing feel easier. He wanted more, but clenched his fists and stifled that selfish tone.

Before he could remind himself of the position and time, the bluenette came back with a platter of goodies in her hands.

"Why don't we take this up to m-my room?" she questioned with a minor stutter.

Adrien was stunned into being mute for a few seconds, the implication of being alone with her in his state making him a bit fearful, before he nodded tentatively.

Leading the way, she made her way easily up the stairs to her open trapdoor and setting the platter down.

Once she closed the door, Marinette asked, "How are you dealing with your Pulse?"

Adrien froze and averted his eyes from looking directly at her piercing blue gaze.

If he was right… that Marinette was Ladybug, then she knew. She knew everything…

...and it made him feel scared and exposed. He would have rathered that she know he was Chat Noir. that would be far less nerve wracking than this.

A small irksome twitch, like the cracking of one's knuckles, went off in the back of his mind.

She IS Ladybug, a voice in his head corrected his doubtful thoughts on that twitch.

"I'm alright…" he voiced, looking down at his own shoes, as he sat down upon her chaise. "Just fighting this…" Adrien's hands tried to gesture some sort of indescribable feeling as he sighed, "...strange thing."

He could see the pitiable stare Marinette gave him, to which he cringed.

"Why are you fighting it…?" the bluenette's soothing voice reached him softly.

Rolling his hands within one another, sweaty palms and dry mouth plaguing him, Adrien couldn't think of any way to deflect this.

Trying his best to keep his eyes on her, he told her, "I can't become a liability to Ladybug…"

"What?"

"I love her… and while I know now that she loves me, I don't want to cause her problems. I'm a mess and Adrien Agreste isn't what she needs."

His Pulse fought against him with every word, causing him to slide down from the chaise and clutch his chest.

"Adrien!?" Marinette shouted, at his side in a flash and watching with worried blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Milady," he spoke. "This isn't exactly how I wanted to find out…"

Her eyes bugged out, the punny idea drawing a short chuckle from the blonde as he mulled the thought over for a moment. Her strawberry lips went slack and she backed away barely a fraction of an inch in shock.

"Chat?... Kitty?" she whispered, bringing her hands up to her face, covering her mouth.

"Surprise," Adrien flatly stated, splaying out his hands in mock celebration. He gave her an awkward grin, feeling a small part of his Pulse alleviate it's tremendous weight from him.

"How did…" she began, cut off by the blonde.

"The Pulse won't really let me doubt that, ever since you helped me," he fearfully explained, hoping she wouldn't be mad. "Any time I wanted to wave it off or let seeds of doubt sway my thinking, this thing just slapped me back to knowing it was you. I'm sorry, Ladybug… Marinette."

"Why are you sorry?"

"None of this is ideal and I hadn't planned on exposing either of us like this," mentioned Adrien, pushing himself back up and sitting down again.

"But…"

"Marinette! Adrien!" her mother yelled from afar. "You need to be back in school soon."

"Right. School! Why did we forget that?" Marinette chastened herself, smacking her forehead in frustration.

A forlorn expression spread like wildfire on the boy's face, disappointed in himself for reasons she couldn't fathom. To her, he was the amazing one. As a civilian and, now that she knew, as Chat Noir.

"This isn't over," the bluenette said pointedly at him, a finger nearly poking his nose as she channeled her inner Ladybug. "You and me will settle this talk on patrol tonight. Got it?"

Her face looked determined, though not angry or disappointed. He took some comfort in that at least while he nodded silently.

The walk back was in silence, with Adrien too afraid to speak and Marinette too focused on some battle of internal thoughts to give him even a glance.

Her mind was battling two persona approaches on how to interact with her flirty partner and innocent sunshine crush.

The rest of the day crawled slower than syrup down an icy slope.

Adrien somehow felt worse from his Pulse, even if his feelings were out in the open. He had to mentally check himself about one thing though. It wasn't about confessing… but resolving the feelings between one another.

The two never got to finish their conversation with neither one able to complete a coherent thought on the subject.

One thing he knew was that she didn't suspect he was Chat Noir until that moment.

Knowing Marinette, he expected a full freak out. Looking to his rear, this silent, staring down in front of herself with a very focused look…. This look she had was somehow far scarier than what he would have called a nightmarish reaction. He couldn't read anything she was thinking. That unknown element frightened him.

Trying to distract himself once more, he threw his very limited focus into his schoolwork.

0000000

Ladybug awaited her partner, having so much to process during her growing impatience. Her Pulse was still prevalent, though mired in a depth of her confusion and revelation of her partner's identity.

She couldn't be all too angry, given the circumstances were stacked against them keeping it any longer.

He was in love with her superhero side, and she his civilian side. The almost Mobius like loop of their feelings between all four identities would never have resolved itself… without the intervention of the Pulse.

Maybe this was a kindness to allow them closure… in one form or another.

The big thing that made her angry though…

...was how little Adrien thought of himself. He was amazing. He was talented and brilliant.

He is also put on a pedestal by his father, with a crushing weight of expectations he feels he never amounts to, the errant thought intruded into her mind, bringing a sliver of a jaded view to her positive thoughts.

Tikki was right.

With so much on him. So many eyes, ideas, criticisms, and assumptions of his status, he had to repress a lot of who he was. He basically withheld another half of himself from others.

Chat Noir.

She could see it now. The occasional pun…

I was turned into a knight…

Me too! It was a knightmare…

He would inherently trust her during interactions with him as Adrien, when most citizens were driven by fear and other concerns.

His rather abrasive interactions as Chat with his own father…

Stop pretending you're above us all and do what I tell you…

The spotted heroine took a breath and stilled herself, feeling the chill of the night air, the fading orange and red of the setting sun making way for the renewed twinkling of stars for the night.

There was the strange sound that was awfully familiar to her, that of her partner's baton extending, to her right.

She whirled and saw Chat land deftly, barely a sound from his touchdown on the roof.

He stumbled back at her intense stare, looking chastened and restless. The red heroine immediately let her expression soften, trying to give him a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry," he started almost instantly. "I know you wanted to…"

His blabbering mouth annoyed her mildly… though probably not in the way he would have assumed if she said that aloud. To silence it, she threw her yoyo out, roped it around his middle and tugged Chat in to grip his face and plant her lips on his, rising to her toes to do it.

There was a hum of surprise, followed by the flush of the black clad hero's face. His eyes glazed over, shivering cat like slits focused on her.

Ladybug could feel his entire body begin to shiver and melt into the kiss.

Separating finally with a wispy fog between their lips in the cold air, she was at a loss for words, feeling her Pulse offer a few choice ones that she mentally rolled her eyes at.

"I love you, Chat Noir," the words flowed forth from her. "I love you, Adrien."

"You said it twice," he replied quietly.

"I'm making doubly sure you don't find a way to think some side of you is inadequate," she snapped back, her tone biting, but not in anger at him. It was more or less a passion that was coming off as slightly aggressive.

"I love you, too," Chat spoke, curious eyes interacting with hers.

"Why are you so scared, Kitty?" Ladybug teased her partner, losing her edgy tone and expression in favor of something more playful and passionate. Her fingertips dragged over his chest, palm pressing at him, making Chat Noir back into a chimney partition. "You look like you're holding back."

He bit his lip, staring at her and trying to make sense of this unsettled feeling within him. He felt selfish. He wanted more. The blonde wanted something much more than words could describe or be provoked in simple action.

"I don't want to be selfish…" Chat breathed out. His partner giggled at that.

"Love is selfish, you idiot."

"Oh…" he belted out in mild shock.

Pressing her chest to his own, standing on her toes to let her lips reach his ears, the bluenette whispered almost breathlessly to him, "Be selfish… for me?"

Whatever dam was holding back everything within him cracked and burst open, a flood of desires coursing through him as he heard the one thing no one ever let him be. He just wanted to be a little selfish.

Grabbing Ladybug by the waist, Chat Noir spun them around and pinned her to the chimney, putting his lips full force onto hers.

Twice over with a few seconds, Adrien stole her breath away. Once when pinned to the wall, though not in any painful manner. Twice when his kiss felt like he was trying to tear every molecule of air from her lungs to keep their lips sealed together.

A clawed hand raked up the side of her neck and cupped a cheek. She hummed in response and her eyes fluttered. His other hand rested on her hip, claws digging in lightly, though well enough to make their presence known.

Ladybug gasped in response, with her partner not letting up and keeping their lips locked.

Either she missed it before or he only just started it, but Chat was purring… loudly and very intensely.

Eventually, the blonde had to give himself room to breathe, with the bluenette pulling in gasping breaths.

Her Pulse was definitely more than satisfied, having calmed down to something of a murmur. It was over for her.

She could see how far from over it was for her other half. Chat's eyes were wrought with a molten hunger that could devour her very soul if she were not careful.

Before she could react, there was a flash of teeth and the blonde was giving her nips and love bites on the side of her neck, finding his way down to where neck met collarbone.

Against her will to keep her voice low, she let out yips, whines, and whimpers at his ministrations. The young heroine by no means found it uncomfortable or unwanted. In fact… she was finding the intimacy and possessive nature he showed quite surprising and endearing.

Her heart became a bubbling puddle of goo from the simple fact that he was acting possessive towards her.

He wanted her. Adrien wanted her. Her partner wanted her.

There was a grand sense of validation in knowing that. She had confidence, but when it came to love, she had so much insecurity. It was amazing how it wasn't words that swayed her, but these needy actions of Chat.

She yelped in surprise as the blonde growled at her, hands gripping her thighs and lifting her up. By instinct, her legs found purchase wrapped around his thin and lean waistline.

Ladybug blushed, worried he might go somewhere she might not feel comfortable going.

She was stunned, albeit pleasantly, when the blonde simply nuzzled his head against her chest, cooing and purring innocently.

Raising her hand on top of his head, she pet him ever so softly, fingers stroking through his golden locks. His demeanor went from heated need to a simple need for affection, with the boy leaning into her petting and letting out a stifled whimper.

Adrien could finally feel his Pulse dying down, leaving behind a very hollowed out husk within him.

It was then that he became overly aware of the predicament he gave into, looking into his Lady's eyes and flushing redder than a tomato.

Ladybug smiled awkwardly, cheeks glowing pink herself.

Chat hugged her tighter, slumping to the ground and letting her rest in his lap, his face burying into her chest. If she didn't know any better, she would say he was hiding in embarrassment.

"What's wrong, Kitty?" Ladybug cooed to him, secretly relishing the little nuzzles he gave her.

"You're the best," he mumbled into her, hugging just a little tighter.

"Aww that's sweet," came her gentle reply, wondering how she hadn't short circuited yet, given her usual response to Adrien's mannerisms.

A new thought occured to the bluenette, making her voice come out weak and fragmented as she tried to gain Chat's attention, "Um… Ad… Chat? I k-know you're enjoying this… m-me too…. But we might look a bit… odd… to anyone around us."

The blonde superhero looked up, tilting his head curiously and looking around, then back down to themselves.

"I don't understand…" he admitted, his eyes and slightly pouty lips showing her true obliviousness to the implications she tried to impart.

She worked her jaw, trying to mentally unjumble the motley collection of ideas she had and coalesce them into a working explanation that didn't out her as having impure thoughts.

Giving up and making a distressed whine, Ladybug hugged the innocent boy to her chest again and belted out, "You really are a pure ray of sunshine."

"O-okay?" he tentatively agreed, the young man still confused as he enjoyed the affectionate contact.

Silence encompassed them both, with only the occasional breeze wisping past them.

Chat broke the quiet, pulling back enough to speak, "I love you."

Though a repeat of simple words, Marinette was beyond ecstatic to hear them again.

"I love you, too…" she sighed into the top of his head, a tingly warmth seeping into him from her breath. "I doubt anything could ruin this moment…" the bluenette continued.

...Until a yell and crash in the distance shattered the mood like an eggshell.

"You know…" Ladybug seethed, frightening Chat with her shaking arms. "...I could almost feel that coming as soon as I said it…"

Separating and ready to leap into action, the spotted heroine was grinding her teeth in anger, eyes focused forward.

"Careful, Bugaboo," came the black clad hero's returning sass. "Don't throw a hissy fit."

Casting him an admonishing glance, cocking a hip with her hand on it, she replied, "Someone or something interrupted what was arguably the greatest moment of my life. This bug is gonna bite."

Chat appeared stunned by something. It befuddled her a bit, knowing she has been angry and outspoken more than once, that he would react like this wasn't a normal thing.

"What…? Tongue tied?"

He shook his head, coming back to his sense and giving her a devious smirk as he voiced, "Gotta say you are simply irresistible when you're an angry love bug. It's a fun combination."

"Really?" she mentioned in exasperation, the two leaping away and following the sounds of distress. "Name one good comparison."

"Easy!" Chat exclaimed. "Peanut butter."

"Why would that…" Ladybug began, once again interrupted…

...by a flying purple blob.

It missed the two by inches, hitting something behind them with a sickening splat.

Finally resting their eyes on the… Akuma?... both heroes' faces went slack and deadpanned into something that was between disinterest and the expressive equivalent of 'Really?'.

"Is it just me or is Hawkmoth getting lazy with his villain designs?" the blonde jibed.

"I really don't want to think too much on it," she replied.

Both of them were looking at something that could only be described as an amorphous purple blob. No noticeable features or even a variance in its hue. It simply rolled… glided… dragged? It was hard to tell.

"Let's get down to bugness," Chat joked, earning an eye roll from his lady.

"Not even that good. Let's go. After this though… you're explaining how peanut butter could possibly equate as a comparison."

"As you wish, Milady," he answered with a snarky smirk and a salute, jumping off the roof they stood upon and using his baton to vault forward into the fray.

She followed suit.

0000000

Lazy was right.

Though a gross one to look at and fight, that Blob… wasn't overly challenging.

It felt to Ladybug that all this villain served to really do was become a most inopportune interruption to her wondrously romantic moment with the greatest person in her life.

"Pound it!" Chat called out, with her answering his fist with hers.

"Now about that peanut butter thing…" the bluenette began.

"Darn…" the blonde joked, snapping his fingers dramatically. "Almost thought I got away with it."

"Spill. Now," she ordered, expression light and happy, in contrast with her tone.

"Well… you were like peanut butter because… in that moment…" Chat began, shifting his footing, "... you were both salty and sweet."

Not even waiting for her reaction, he pounced away with stunning agility.

It took a moment for Ladybug to process that, flabbergasted for but a moment before she yelled out, "Hey! Get your mangy butt back here, Tomcat! I am NOT salty!"


End file.
